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Ultimate front light

Started by Brian Drury · · Last activity · 34 posts · 930 views

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UK and Europe
Published
10 November 2004
Last activity
12 November 2004
Original author
Brian Drury
Posts
34
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  1. All the recent lighting posts set me thinking....

    On the shelf in the shed lying next to some 12V 2Ah NiCad packs is a
    surprisingly small 12V 150W commercial aircraft landing light. This thing is
    bright, very bright.

    20A should give about 6 mins run time. Would not take much effort to stick
    on the front of the bike. Switching is tricky but could use a MOSFET....
    Anyhow, would this be legal?

    Would only use it for briefly illuminating the near invisible unlit cyclists
    I pass on the cycle paths of Brighton. Might use it on the odd ped though.

    Brian

  2. On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 19:45:26 -0000, "Brian Drury"

    briandotdruryatdsldotpipexdotcom said:

    All the recent lighting posts set me thinking....

    On the shelf in the shed lying next to some 12V 2Ah NiCad packs is a
    surprisingly small 12V 150W commercial aircraft landing light. This thing is
    bright, very bright.

    20A should give about 6 mins run time. Would not take much effort to stick
    on the front of the bike. Switching is tricky but could use a MOSFET....
    Anyhow, would this be legal?

    Would only use it for briefly illuminating the near invisible unlit cyclists
    I pass on the cycle paths of Brighton. Might use it on the odd ped though.

    You'd need to take care that an errant jumbo jet doesn't confuse you
    with a landing strip.

  3. Brian Drury said:

    All the recent lighting posts set me thinking....

    On the shelf in the shed lying next to some 12V 2Ah NiCad packs is a
    surprisingly small 12V 150W commercial aircraft landing light. This thing is
    bright, very bright.

    20A should give about 6 mins run time.

    In your dreams. If you discharge NiCd at 10C, you'll find it won't make
    its full capacity. My guess is that you'll get a dimmer light than
    expected for maybe 3-4 minutes, and the batteries won't put up with many
    cycles like that.

    However, 150W at 12V is 12.5A by my calculations: at 6.25C you'll
    probably get about 7 minutes near full brightness per pack if the cells
    are in good shape.

    Please don't use this on the public road.

    --
    Mark.
    http://tranchant.plus.com/

  4. in message <[email hidden]>, "Brian

    Drury' briandotdruryatdsldotpipexdotcom ('') said:

    All the recent lighting posts set me thinking....

    On the shelf in the shed lying next to some 12V 2Ah NiCad packs is a
    surprisingly small 12V 150W commercial aircraft landing light. This
    thing is bright, very bright.

    20A should give about 6 mins run time. Would not take much effort to
    stick on the front of the bike. Switching is tricky but could use a
    MOSFET.... Anyhow, would this be legal?

    Would only use it for briefly illuminating the near invisible unlit
    cyclists I pass on the cycle paths of Brighton. Might use it on the
    odd ped though.

    And motorists who won't dip. I used to have vengeful thoughts of fitting
    a really powerful photographic flashlight to the front of my bike to
    deal with such tossers.

    --
    [email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
    Wannabe a Web designer?
    <URL:http://userfriendly.org/cartoons/archives/97dec/19971206.html>

  5. Simon Brooke said:

    And motorists who won't dip. I used to have vengeful thoughts of
    fitting a really powerful photographic flashlight to the front of my
    bike to deal with such tossers.

    Why not just raise your hand as if to shield your eyes? 9 times out of 10
    they get the message. Oh, you're referring to the 1 in 10 who won't dip: in
    that case, blind the [censored].

  6. Simonb said:

    Simon Brooke wrote:

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    And motorists who won't dip. I used to have vengeful thoughts of
    fitting a really powerful photographic flashlight to the front of my
    bike to deal with such tossers.

    Quoted message said:

    Why not just raise your hand as if to shield your eyes? 9 times out of 10
    they get the message.

    That never works for me, although they probably can't see my
    black-gloved hand behind my 20W Lumicycle. Flashing the Lumi (by
    covering it with my hand to save the bulb) gives better results.

    Biking in Essex probably doesn't help either.

    --
    Mark.
    http://tranchant.plus.com/

  7. Simon Brooke said:

    in message <[email hidden]>,


    "Brian

    Quoted message said:
    Drury' briandotdruryatdsldotpipexdotcom ('') said:

    All the recent lighting posts set me thinking....

    On the shelf in the shed lying next to some 12V 2Ah NiCad packs is


    a

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    surprisingly small 12V 150W commercial aircraft landing


    light.<snip>

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    Might use it on the
    odd ped though.

    And motorists who won't dip. I used to have vengeful thoughts of


    fitting

    Quoted message said:

    a really powerful photographic flashlight to the front of my bike to
    deal with such tossers.

    I would feel doubtful about the merit if dazzling somebody who is
    driving a car towards me. I find that pantomime style shielding of
    eyes with the forearm sometimes gets the point across although this
    depends on the road layout and closing speed.

    Discharging your flash rearwards /after/ passing the car just might
    spoil the driver's evening wondering if they have been snapped by a
    speed camera

    best wishes
    james

  8. <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    Discharging your flash rearwards /after/ passing the car just might
    spoil the driver's evening wondering if they have been snapped by a
    speed camera

    Nice! Flash twice for best results.

    cheers,
    clive

  9. Quoted message said:

    Why not just raise your hand as if to shield your eyes? 9 times out of 10
    they get the message. Oh, you're referring to the 1 in 10 who won't dip: in
    that case, blind the [censored].

    I've found that since using a small h*lm*t-mounted white LED as well as my two
    front bike-mounted lights, on-coming motorists dip their headlights well in
    advance of getting to me and slow down noticeably as they pass. Must be the
    WTFIT! factor at work.

    Cheers, helen s

    --This is an invalid email address to avoid spam--
    to get correct one remove fame & fortune
    h*$el*$$e*nd**$o$ts**i*$*$m*m$o*n*s@$*a$o*l.c**$om$

    --Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel is switched off--

  10. Quoted message said:

    I've found that since using a small h*lm*t-mounted white LED as well as my
    two
    front bike-mounted lights, on-coming motorists dip their headlights well in
    advance of getting to me and slow down noticeably as they pass. Must be the
    WTFIT! factor at work.

    Forgot to add, I find that a few head nods and then looking *at* direction of
    oncoming car has instant effect if they haven't dipped soon enough. The small
    h*lm*t-mounted LED is very bright when seen head-on, so perhaps that
    contributes to them finally seeing me ;-) I use it as a hand-held light when
    walking through the village at night as we have no street lighting for the most
    part and from the footpath, I've shone it directly at a car approaching quickly
    and it's been instant slowing by the driver.

    Cheers, helen s

    --This is an invalid email address to avoid spam--
    to get correct one remove fame & fortune
    h*$el*$$e*nd**$o$ts**i*$*$m*m$o*n*s@$*a$o*l.c**$om$

    --Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel is switched off--

  11. Simon Brooke <[email hidden]> wrote:
    : And motorists who won't dip. I used to have vengeful thoughts of fitting

    My problems with this went down to pretty much nothing once I fitted
    a decent (10W) front light.

    For those that are a little slow to dip, I find a large wobble out into
    their path usually works....

    --
    Arthur Clune PGP/GPG Key: http://www.clune.org/pubkey.txt
    "Blogs are neither necessary nor sufficient for evil to triumph.
    They're just what we call an enabling technology" - Danny O'Brien

  12. dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers said:


    The small
    h*lm*t-mounted LED is very bright when seen head-on, so perhaps that
    contributes to them finally seeing me ;-) I use it as a hand-held light when
    walking through the village at night as we have no street lighting for the most
    part and from the footpath, I've shone it directly at a car approaching quickly
    and it's been instant slowing by the driver.

    Why did you do that?

    John B

  13. Quoted message said:


    Why did you do that?

    John B

    Because he was coming a bit sharpish and I feared that he had not seen me. When
    it's my health & well-being at stake, I thought it prudent to make sure driver
    knew where I was.

    Cheers, helen s

    --This is an invalid email address to avoid spam--
    to get correct one remove fame & fortune
    h*$el*$$e*nd**$o$ts**i*$*$m*m$o*n*s@$*a$o*l.c**$om$

    --Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel is switched off--

  14. Quoted message said:


    Why did you do that?

    John B

    Because he was coming a bit sharpish and I feared that he had not seen me. When
    it's my health & well-being at stake, I thought it prudent to make sure driver
    knew where I was.

    Cheers, helen s

    --This is an invalid email address to avoid spam--
    to get correct one remove fame & fortune
    h*$el*$$e*nd**$o$ts**i*$*$m*m$o*n*s@$*a$o*l.c**$om$

    --Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel is switched off--

  15. Quoted message said:


    Why did you do that?

    John B

    Because he was coming a bit sharpish and I feared that he had not seen me. When
    it's my health & well-being at stake, I thought it prudent to make sure driver
    knew where I was.

    Cheers, helen s

    --This is an invalid email address to avoid spam--
    to get correct one remove fame & fortune
    h*$el*$$e*nd**$o$ts**i*$*$m*m$o*n*s@$*a$o*l.c**$om$

    --Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel is switched off--

  16. in message <[email hidden]>,

    (') said:


    Simon Brooke said:

    in message <[email hidden]>,


    "Brian

    Quoted message said:
    Drury' briandotdruryatdsldotpipexdotcom ('') said:

    All the recent lighting posts set me thinking....

    On the shelf in the shed lying next to some 12V 2Ah NiCad packs is


    a

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    surprisingly small 12V 150W commercial aircraft landing


    light.<snip>

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    Might use it on the
    odd ped though.

    And motorists who won't dip. I used to have vengeful thoughts of


    fitting

    Quoted message said:

    a really powerful photographic flashlight to the front of my bike to
    deal with such tossers.

    I would feel doubtful about the merit if dazzling somebody who is
    driving a car towards me.

    Yes, I know. As I say, it was merely a vengeful thought.

    Quoted message said:

    Discharging your flash rearwards /after/ passing the car just might
    spoil the driver's evening wondering if they have been snapped by a
    speed camera

    Now /there's/ an idea!

    --
    [email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

    Due to financial constraints, the light at the end of the tunnel
    has been switched off.

  17. in message <[email hidden]>,

    (') said:


    Simon Brooke said:

    in message <[email hidden]>,


    "Brian

    Quoted message said:
    Drury' briandotdruryatdsldotpipexdotcom ('') said:

    All the recent lighting posts set me thinking....

    On the shelf in the shed lying next to some 12V 2Ah NiCad packs is


    a

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    surprisingly small 12V 150W commercial aircraft landing


    light.<snip>

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    Might use it on the
    odd ped though.

    And motorists who won't dip. I used to have vengeful thoughts of


    fitting

    Quoted message said:

    a really powerful photographic flashlight to the front of my bike to
    deal with such tossers.

    I would feel doubtful about the merit if dazzling somebody who is
    driving a car towards me.

    Yes, I know. As I say, it was merely a vengeful thought.

    Quoted message said:

    Discharging your flash rearwards /after/ passing the car just might
    spoil the driver's evening wondering if they have been snapped by a
    speed camera

    Now /there's/ an idea!

    --
    [email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

    Due to financial constraints, the light at the end of the tunnel
    has been switched off.

  18. dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers said:


    Quoted message said:


    Why did you do that?

    John B

    Because he was coming a bit sharpish and I feared that he had not seen me. When
    it's my health & well-being at stake, I thought it prudent to make sure driver
    knew where I was.

    Phew. IMO dodgy.
    I certainly wouldn't do that from the pavement.
    I don't like the idea of shining a bright light at a motorist as he
    approaches me.

    John B

  19. Quoted message said:

    Phew. IMO dodgy.
    I certainly wouldn't do that from the pavement.
    I don't like the idea of shining a bright light at a motorist as he
    approaches me.

    John B

    Damn sight less dodgy than motorist not seeing me in place where there is no
    street lighting - otherwise pitch-black and due to run-off from nearby fields
    and gardens, very difficult to tell where footpath ends and road begins...

    Cheers, helen s

    --This is an invalid email address to avoid spam--
    to get correct one remove fame & fortune
    h*$el*$$e*nd**$o$ts**i*$*$m*m$o*n*s@$*a$o*l.c**$om$

    --Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel is switched off--

  20. dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers said:


    Quoted message said:

    Phew. IMO dodgy.
    I certainly wouldn't do that from the pavement.
    I don't like the idea of shining a bright light at a motorist as he
    approaches me.

    Quoted message said:

    Damn sight less dodgy than motorist not seeing me in place where there is no
    street lighting - otherwise pitch-black and due to run-off from nearby fields
    and gardens, very difficult to tell where footpath ends and road begins...

    If the motorist did leave the road I suspect they would claim they had
    been blinded :-(
    Good reflectives and light clothing would seem appropriate when walking
    on such paths.

    John B

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